Santiago de Chile

Unfortunately, it is not possible to travel directly from Peru to New Zealand. So, we flew from Lima to Santiago de Chile. Since there are direct flights from here and we were already there, we decided to explore this city as well. The first thing we had to do was familiarize ourselves with the currency system, as 1 Euro is 742 Chilean Pesos. We were completely baffled when the taxi ride to the hostel cost 20,000 Pesos. But then we roughly calculated and realized that with 1,346 Euros, we are millionaires here - we are rich!!! Our hostel had a great big kitchen, we had a dorm for the first time to sleep in, and it was super centrally located. We explored Plaza de Armas, some markets, the student neighborhood, creative street art, and admired Santiago from above during our two days here. The Cerro San Cristobal mountain offers a great view. We instantly liked the city. A typical snack here is the hotdog. But not as boring as ours with pickles, onions, and mustard. There are many variations here. Whether with cheese, avocado, tomatoes, ground beef, egg... There is something for everyone. With the beautiful sunshine, we treated ourselves to a delicious ice cream. But what was that? People kept passing by with a filled cone. We immediately knew we had to go where they come from. Shortly after, we found the store and ordered a savory filled cone. Great idea and incredibly delicious! After later stocking up on some groceries for dinner and breakfast at the supermarket, we were almost starving while waiting at the checkout. After over half an hour at a snail's pace, we finally made it and were 9,000 Pesos lighter. That's why we decided to eat out on the second night. The student neighborhood had countless bars, pubs, clubs, and restaurants. We opted for two typical Chilean specialties. Pork roulades with fries and a kind of corn casserole with onions, olives, egg, beef, and chicken. So, it was clear to us that Chilean food is top notch. With all the sights that Chile has to offer in general, the super friendly people, and the amazing food, this definitely won't be our last trip to Chile, that's for sure!

In the middle of the night, our plane to New Zealand took off. We weren't too thrilled about the 13-hour flight, but luckily we had a row of three seats to ourselves. Due to the time difference, we lost Saturday. For those who want to get a knot in their heads, just like us - departure was Friday to Saturday night at 1:10, the flight lasted 13 hours, and we arrived in Auckland on Sunday morning at 5:00. Whaaaaat??? Such a flight across the timeline is totally confusing, right?

Upon arriving in Auckland, it was time to pick up our camper, hit the road, and enjoy the incredible freedom!